Case Law Libraries: Access In North Carolina?

does nc allow access to case law libraries

North Carolina offers a variety of resources for those seeking access to case law libraries. The state's Supreme Court Library, for instance, provides access to legal resources and case law materials, although entry requires state employee identification or an NC State Bar number. The Kathrine R. Everett Law Library at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, offers an expansive selection of databases, research guides, and digital collections, while the NCCU School of Law Library provides access to North Carolina case law, federal case law, and district court rulings. WestlawNext is another resource that offers access to statutes, case law materials, and public records, although access is limited to students enrolled in the paralegal studies program.

Characteristics Values
Access to case law libraries WestlawNext, Fastcase, Lexis+, Martindale-Hubbell Law Digest, Westlaw Edge, LegalTrac, West's North Carolina Digest 2d, West's Federal Practice Digest, United States Code and Administrative News, United States Code Annotated, Southeastern Reporter and SE Reporter 2d, Shepard’s SE Reporter Citations, Corpus Juris Secundum, AmJur Proof of Facts, Code of Federal Regulations, North Carolina Bar Association Continuing Legal Education, West’s NC Criminal and Motor Vehicle Law, West’s NC Rules of Court, West’s NC Digest, Strong’s C Index, Uniform Commercial Code Case Digest
Requirements for access State employee identification, N.C. State Bar number, visitor authorization form, visitor's card
Hours of operation Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (except holidays)
Contact Telephone: (919) 831-5709
Address Supreme Court Library, 500 Justice Building, 2 East Morgan Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-1428

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Access to North Carolina case law libraries for students

North Carolina is home to several law libraries that provide access to case law for students.

The Kathrine R. Everett Law Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers an expansive selection of databases, research guides, and digital collections. The library's website provides information on library hours and resources, and students can also seek assistance from librarians and staff at the Reference Desk.

The NCCU Law Library at North Carolina Central University School of Law provides access to North Carolina practice materials, including case law from the North Carolina Court of Appeals and the North Carolina Supreme Court. The library offers both physical and online resources, such as video recordings of North Carolina Court of Appeals cases and open-access resources to state and federal court opinions.

Additionally, WestlawEdge and Lexis+ provide access to North Carolina case law and are available to NCCU Law School students with a username and password. WestlawNext, another legal research database, is accessible to students enrolled in the paralegal studies program at Central Piedmont Community College.

The Supreme Court Library in Raleigh, NC, also provides access to legal resources. While specific information on student access is unavailable, the library is open to the public during regular business hours, and visitors can obtain access by presenting the necessary identification or authorization forms.

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Access to North Carolina case law libraries for the public

North Carolina offers its residents access to case law libraries and other legal resources. The state's Judicial Branch maintains a Supreme Court Library in Raleigh, which is open to the public from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visitors must present either state employee identification or an N.C. State Bar number, along with a completed visitor authorization form. Library staff may then issue a visitor's card.

In addition to this physical library, North Carolina also offers online legal resources. The North Carolina General Assembly provides access to the Statutes on the Internet, as well as North Carolina Pattern Jury Instructions. Central Piedmont Community College's Law Research Guide includes links to bill look-up and full-text searches of bills from 1997 to the present, session law/chaptered bill search, and tips for finding bills. The guide also includes information on LegalTrac, a database covering federal and state cases, laws, and regulations.

Several universities in North Carolina also offer access to law libraries. The Kathrine R. Everett Law Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is open to the public and offers an online catalogue and digital collections. The J. Michael Goodson Law Library at Duke University is another free law library open to the public, with public hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. Wake Forest University's Professional Centre Library in Winston-Salem also allows public use of its online catalogue.

North Carolina law schools also offer free or low-cost legal assistance to the public, with work performed by law students under faculty supervision. The School of Government at UNC, for example, serves over 12,000 public officials each year, providing content and resources on a wide range of topics in local government and judicial administration.

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North Carolina Supreme Court Library

The North Carolina Supreme Court Library is located in the Supreme Court building in Raleigh, Wake County. The library is open to the public, but users must show either state employee identification or an N.C. State Bar number to gain access to the Justice Building. Authorized visitors must present a completed visitor authorization form, and staff may issue a visitor's card once this information has been confirmed. The library's operating hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays.

The North Carolina Supreme Court Library provides access to a variety of legal resources, including case law from the North Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. The library has print volumes of court records and briefs dating back to 1874, with an almost complete collection from v.70-194 and v.196-352. An index to the courts' records and briefs is available at the library reference desk, and the library is in the process of digitizing its collection of North Carolina records and briefs.

The North Carolina Supreme Court Library also offers electronic resources for legal research. The NC Appellate Courts Electronic Filing website allows users to search for selected court filings from the North Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals from 2000 to the present. Additionally, the NCCU Law Library provides online access to North Carolina Court of Appeals and Supreme Court decisions through the North Carolina Administrative Office of Courts.

Furthermore, members of the NC Bar Association can access Fastcase, a free legal research platform that includes North Carolina case law, statutes, and rules of court. NCCU Law School students, faculty, and staff can also utilize WestlawEdge and Lexis+ to access North Carolina case law and federal case law from the 4th Circuit and district courts sitting in North Carolina. These electronic resources provide valuable tools for legal professionals, students, and researchers seeking information on North Carolina case law and related legal topics.

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North Carolina Central University School of Law Library

The North Carolina Central University School of Law Library, located in the Albert L. Turner Building in Durham, North Carolina, offers a wealth of resources for legal professionals, students, and faculty. With over 400,000 volumes and volume equivalents, the library is well-equipped to cater to diverse legal research needs.

The NCCU Law Library provides access to case law materials, including North Carolina Court of Appeals and Supreme Court decisions, as well as federal case law from the 4th Circuit and district courts in North Carolina. The library also offers video recordings of North Carolina Court of Appeals cases and open-access resources for state and federal court opinions. Additionally, the library provides research guides, subject guides, and research assistance from librarians to help navigate the extensive collection effectively.

The Law Library is just one of the five libraries at NCCU that are dedicated to supporting student success and promoting high-quality academic research. The university also houses the School of Education Building Library, which offers educational resources, children's literature, and technological tools for students and staff. The Music Library, a branch of the Shepard Library, is another specialised collection on campus, boasting an extensive selection of music-related media and literature.

The North Carolina Central University School of Law itself has a rich history, established in 1939 as a separate-but-equal option for blacks aspiring to become lawyers. Over the years, the school has produced notable alumni, including the first African-American United States Attorney in the South during the 20th century and the first African-American woman to serve as Mayor of Durham. The school offers a range of programs, including a full-time day program, a part-time evening program, and joint degree options, catering to a diverse student body.

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North Carolina Bar Association members' access

The North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) has offered Fastcase legal research as a benefit to its members since 2012. Fastcase recently merged with international legal research provider vLex, resulting in an upgraded platform that is now available to NCBA members. This platform offers a complete collection of North Carolina caselaw, including statutes, the constitution, attorney general opinions, administrative codes, and court rules.

NCBA members can search by citation, keyword, or natural language query to instantly retrieve relevant legal authorities. In addition to primary law, they have access to treatises, practice guides, legal forms, and secondary sources. NCBA-specific guides cover a range of topics, including civil procedure, foreclosure law, legal malpractice, and trust and estate practice.

The upgraded platform also includes the new Cert citator, which flags negative treatment and other citing references to a case. This is a significant improvement over Fastcase's previous citation service, Bad Law Bot, offering more extensive coverage and editorial review. The platform also integrates Vincent AI, vLex's award-winning AI research assistant, which provides free access to automated headnotes, case summaries, and similar legal materials.

On November 19, 2024, NCBA members could access the upgraded platform by signing into Fastcase through the NCBA website. They had the option to continue using the existing Fastcase 7 service, with the ability to transfer any notes, folders, and favorites to the new platform. The official rollout of the vLex Fastcase platform took place on December 19, with an option to return to Fastcase 7 available under "Account Settings."

Frequently asked questions

To gain access to the Justice Building, users must show either state employee identification or an N.C. State Bar number. Authorized visitors must present a completed visitor authorization form.

Some law libraries in North Carolina include the Kathrine R. Everett Law Library, the NCCU Law Library, and the Supreme Court Library.

WestlawEdge, Lexis+, and Fastcase (the NC Bar Association's free legal research platform for members) are some resources for North Carolina case law.

WestlawNext, LegalTrac, and Martindale-Hubbell Law Digest are some resources for legal research in North Carolina.

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